Stung
by J-Beany
Summary: "Poor boy...His Father only warned him about being bitten - has he never been stung?" Shikamaru is stung by the inevitable.


Stung

Work was never a priority.

Such pointless meaningless tasks don't deserve time never mind attention

To what point was the ability to complete something worthy a merit.

To what extent does a completion of a task prove anything of your own ability.

Answer : It doesn't

And this was also the answer to why Nara Shikamaru was lying in the bushes in a perfect summers day when he should have been in the middle of completing a mission.

At 12 years old, his awareness of the world was much higher then any other 12 year old he had came across and that's why he had been able to sneak away unnoticed by his colleagues to take a nap.

He gave them an hour to find him...perhaps two if the weather heated up.

He sat up momentarily drowsily and half asleep and pondered over the question he had had in his mind for the past day or two:

_Why?_

Why did he exist again?

Was it to ponder questions like this? Was it to laze around and dream relentlessly of things beyond apprehension? Or perhaps it was to literally live in his own clans shadow, too scared shitless to do anything?

He groaned before falling onto his back again.

_What was the point?_

Nothing he ever done mattered any more, at least not to him.

He sighed surveying, the average height of the trees, the plainness of grass even the dullness of the flowers.

He soon moved onto watching the movements of the bugs, how plainly and simply they moved so fixed in their own patterns, the ants lined up, the flies flew round, and the rest moved only to please one another with such techniques and attractions shikamaru felt disgusted they should act in such a way for a mate. He could never know what joy Shino could find in such simple creatures as this.

He even chuckled when one tried to scuttle away frightened before he clamped his hand over it crushing the poor thing to death.

"Pitiful spineless creatures"He thought as he chuckled deeply peeling it off his own hand "they never learn"

He began to wipe the creature away with a leaf before he was struck with the most interesting sight.

A bug.

His eyes focused in confused and intrigued with the sight before him, it was a different kind of bug than he supposed than he had ever seen before, It wasn't plain, nor green and it certainly didn't have antenna.

It jumped.

Shikamaru edged back startled, It didn't look like the type of bug that could jump.

He made his way forward shadowing its movements, He expected it to run, scuttle away hide under rock for all he cared. But it didn't. It stared right back at him.

A chill ran down his spine and he found himself totally engulfed by the one creature, Its smooth shiny features and its hard outer shell. He could feel his hand coming out unexpectedly trying to grab the creature. He wanted to touch it. So bad.

It flew. That's right. It _flew_

Out of his reach, out of his touch.

You would think that would stop him.

But it didn't, He jumped up to follow it instead, watching it swirl around his head and made countless attempts to grasp at it each attempt becoming more desperate and fleeting.

He became worn and tired and after countless attempts had to stop and catch his breath all the while keeping his gazed transfixed on the bug.

_It had not flown away._

He thought

"You would think a bug being chased away so much would just so simply fly off" he pondered

_But it had not._

He watched it swirling and descending and hesitating ever so slowly over his own head before darting off and swirling ahead.

"It's curious" He thought becoming ever more entranced with it, his own eyes widening in excitement

"Just like I am"

He watched it swirl once again before conducting a plan.

He crouched calmly silently eyes closed. He buried his head in his chest and waited.

And waited.

Then he heard it.

"Buzz"

He tensed

"Buzz"

There it was again

"Buzzzzz"

It was getting closer

"Buzzzzzzzzzzzz"

He could feel his heart racing and he had to force ever muscle every instinct he knew to keep still, keep quiet.

"Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

He felt himself shaking

_Not yet, Not yet..._

"Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Buzzzzzzz...CLAP !"

He stood, shaking, smiling his hands cupped and poised.

He began to start laughing with joy

_I don't know if I even caught the damn thing.._

That didn't stop him though he laughed and laughed till his voice went went horse. A simple buzz from inside his hands proclaimed his best suspicions.

He had caught it.

He smiled triumphantly and joyfully before letting out a calm shuddering breath.

He began to open his own hands.

_What are you doing! going to let it fly off again? Going to let it escape again! You could never catch such a..._

But his body acted of its own accord going against anything he probably ever knew.

He wanted to see it.

Defeated, crushed perhaps, maybe even limping or squished. Yeah squished would be good.

Secretly though in the depths of his mind, he wanted to see it alive, strong and fighting back, challenging and threatening. He wanted a challenge.

He slowly unclasped his hands apart not knowing whether he wanted to see the end result. His head was throbbing with pain but he chose to ignore it.

He peered his eye in and was only met with darkness and cursed himself for being so ignorant.

He drew his head back and quickly unveiled his hand, thrusting it away from him.

He peered from a distance. It did not move.

He stood momentarily with his hand cast far away from him and then for curiosity's sake began to slowly draw his hand towards him.

He refused to look, even when it drew closer and closer it was only when the hand became pressing onto his own chest that he was courageous enough to peer down.

He held his breath. It was still, it was dead.

Emotion came over him, one in which he never felt before, It was sadness unhappiness, guilt and...

_It moved_

He actually swore he saw it move

_It moved again_

He smiled and relief flooded his senses.

He was happy.

Truly and utterly happy.

_It was is in shock._

_Shock!_

He almost began to laugh before me saw what his jolting was doing to the bug.

He steadied himself and raised his hand to eye height curious to what the creature looked like up close.

He became transfixed with its back and without aware that he was doing so slid himself slowly and steadily to sit down on the ground for support.

It was like a shell but smooth and layered, kind of what you expect to see on a woodlouse but more distinct and sharp. And blue.

_No that wasn't it._

Green?

_No_

Turquoise?

_NO_

He stared transfixed with the colour, clawing his brain out trying to figure out the right colour to describe such a beautiful...

_Teal_

_That was it._

_TEAL_

He smiled warmly watching it uncurl slightly and quiver slightly out of frustration.

It was a stubborn one.

He held back another chuckle and watched over is smooth head, it's small black eyes and its small thick legs which for the life of him he could not imagine to jump as high as it did.

It seemed dainty, and beautiful, but in a different way to other bugs.

It was different from what he has ever seen before, so smart, so independent so...

_...Not here._

It didn't belong here. Of course it didn't such a beautiful skillful creature could never live _here._

He was surprised such a creature could even survive here something so different from the others, something that could be picked off so easily. It did not blend in easily with its environment, it was not a leaf insect or a stick, It was not thin and weak and it changed for no one.

But yet No-one touched it, it was something not to trifle with.

It was probably the colour so simple but yet striking. It kept the others away. It looked poisonous.

He looked at his own hand in suspicion, but saw not even a mark of poisoning.

_So it only looked deadly, huh?_

He went to smile but realised in his perplexed state that he already was and was disturbed by the image.

It began to uncurl more and suddenly he saw it.

_Yellow_

_Yellow fur?_

He was surprised to say the least, it was short momentary but lasting and fleeting. A shock of yellow fur underneath a clasp of teal. Hidden underneath.

_More surprises..._

He wanted to smile, laugh it away and pretend he didn't see it. He was distressed with the image already without adding to the...

_It looks soft._

His free hand twitched involuntary.

Something so hard, so dangerous, so... amazing...

_Had a soft side_

He sighed as he felt his hand move against his own will again to lazy to fight what he already knew. He moved more fast this time, more desperate more seeking, More willing to see to soft side that hid beneath. His breath was more quick, more forced. Unwilling for his need for oxygen to overtake his need to fulfill his desire.

He could feel his tips of fingers brushing along the tip of the cold outer shell, he could feel it moving, tensing. He took deep shallow breaths as he forced it open, and _There, _there it was only a few inches away from the yellow soft fur he...

_ow_

He growled annoyed at his failure.

Why had he stopped?

Why had he hesitated?

Why had he...

He felt it move on his hand and looked down. There was two.

_What?_

He could see two

He must be mistaken

_No_

There it was two perfect little...

Oh shit

It _stung_ him

_Are you actually serious?_

It_ stung _him.

It actually _Stung _him.

He watched stunned, in disbelief.

No

_No_

No!

_This was your fault you know._

Shut up

_You went to far..._

Shut up

_It was a defense mechan-_

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

He grappled his free hand to his throbbing head too astonished to stare at anything but his open palm.

_Why?_

Why did you sting me?

His hand was going numb

He refused to move his eyes.

He saw it struggling to get away and used the last strength he had remaining in his hand to curve his fingers over in a barrier against it.

_Why?_

He asked again as he saw it struggle to go upwards.

_Why?..._ He said tailing off short of breath.

His lips were swelling.

It felt like someone was pulling a cord around his lungs... and heart.

He wish he could say the same for the outside of his body... he was losing all feeling from his arms..and legs. They were becoming numb.

He watched still being only grateful that his vision had not deteriorated yet.

But it was hazy.

He saw it struggle and thrash, its own back legs refusing to respond.

_Its dying _

Its right front leg gave way. It fought still pushing its way upwards.

_You really want to get away that badly huh?_

He smirked unsuccessfully.

He was losing all feeling in his face.

The _last leg _gave way and only its head remained, twitching violently.

But it become slower, and slower and slower...

Shikamaru let out a wince and unwilling to bear more forced his free hand upwards from his side where it had dropped.

It was painful, so much in fact that sweat was running from his temples from only moving his hand a centimetre.

But he didn't care.

He pushed, and pushed until his hand was on the desired height.

Level with his open palm.

He keeled over at this point, but with all the strength he could muster forced his hands to curve and contour so that the creature was cradled safely in his hands.

_Stupid thing_

He moved his slightly movable hand to hover over both the creature and his sting.

His hand brushed over the sting, pausing for a second.

But instead of pausing and pulling out the sting it merely brushed over and moved on.

With the target in sight he could feel body responding less.

_No not yet.._

_Wait..._

His hand drew closer

_Wait_

The numbness grew faster.

_Wait_

The tips of his fingers drew close

_Wait_

He could almost-

_Wait!-_

_-CRACK!_

It broke

The shell _broke_

And he felt it.

It was like a bee.

_Soft..._

_And sandy yellow..._

His eyes closed.

_Soft..._

_And sandy yellow..._

He muttered.

"_**Poor boy...His Father only warned him about being bitten - has he never been stung?"**_


End file.
